Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Whether you’re planning an action, trying to engage But as well as being fun, effective and strategic;
people, or designing an inspiring event; creativity being creative can be empowering and bring people
is an important part of campaigning. Combining together in a way that strengthens relationships and
the unexpected with the visually eye-catching; builds community. Creating something together can
incorporating art, music and theatre, and using help us believe that we can build a better world.
humour and imagery can create powerful actions Reclaiming and transforming spaces, and disrupting
and events. It can change and shape a narrative; and subverting the status quo help move us towards
engage people more effectively; attract media long-lasting social change and the world we want to
attention, and be tactically useful. live in.
Why be creative?
Inspire and empower people
Actions that embody the change you want to see
or that dispel dominant narratives in a creative
way are empowering and can inspire others to
take action. The act of putting together a creative
action can also build community and trust.
Go viral
A simple image, meme or replicable creative
Surprise your target
action can capture people’s imagination and get Creativity often involves the unexpected, and can
others copying and sharing your action. surprise your campaign target (and the police or
security) and make it difficult for them to know how
to react.
Be inspired by others
You don’t always have to come up with De-escalate a situation:
something new. There is a long history of Activists can find themselves in confrontational
creative activism, which you can adapt, or hostile situations during an action. A creative
replicate or build on. intervention can set the tone or shift the mood if
Beautiful Trouble is a great place to start if you things get tense.
want to get a feel for past creative actions We are clowns because nothing undermines
and tactics. The website and book was put authority like holding it up to ridicule. Because
together by a network of artist/activist trainers since the beginning of time tricksters have
to help movements be more effective. embraced life’s contradictions, creating
beautifultrouble.org coherence through confusion…
Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army manifesto
Photo: Peter Marshall / Campaign Against Arms Trade
Useful resources
•• Beautiful Trouble: A book, online toolbox
and international network of artist-activist
trainers beautifultrouble.org
•• Actipedia: A database of creative actions
from around the world
actipedia.org
•• Artivism by 350.org: Artivism guides and
examples of past creative actions
art.350.org
The trainings section of the website
Palestine solidarity activists dance the Palestinian dance includes lots of useful tools, activities and
Dabke while blockading military vehicles from entering games for planning creative actions
the site of a major arms fair. The dance is itself a form of trainings.350.org
cultural resistance against the Israeli state. In this instance,
as well as performing the practical function of occupying •• The Laboratory of Insurrectionary
the road, it did it in a way that was fun and empowering. Imagination: “An affinity of friends who
recognise the beauty of collective
Sparking creative ideas creative disobedience”. Lots of examples
of creative interventions
Everyone can be creative. You just need to find a labofii.wordpress.com
way of facilitating creative thinking
•• Destructables: a DIY creative protest
Set up a creative space website destructables.org
The first place to start is to set up a space that •• Creative Resistance: Collection of activist
facilitates creative thinking. There are no set rules art creativeresistance.org
for this, but here are some things that might help: •• Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers:
•• Try meeting somewhere different. Go outdoors, Creative Resistance: Why We Need to
share a meal, sit in a park or meet in a cafe. Incorporate Art Into Our Activism
A stuffy room with no windows is definitely not alternet.org/activism/we-need-art-our-activism
conducive towards creative thinking! If you’re
meeting in an office, try getting rid of the tables.
•• Visit your campaign target to get a feel for the
Art is good for our communities, and artistic
space. How would you transform it?
collaboration is a bonding experience. We make
•• Listen to music during your planning meeting. art together, not just because of the changes it can
bring to the world around us, but because of the
•• Bring props to your planning session: costumes,
way it changes us internally.
plasticine, and sweets are always great.
Tatiana Makovkin, an organiser with Creative Resistance
•• Have food and drink available: hungry people
don’t think creatively!
Use people’s experience
•• Use flipchart paper, coloured paper and pens. Get everyone to write their favourite action on a
Get people to start drawing their ideas. post-it. Put these up on the wall. Take turns to pick
•• Get an external facilitator: It can help to have one and get people to talk about why they chose
someone outside of your group if you’re feeling the action and what they liked about it. Make
stuck. notes of what people say on flipchart paper and
then think about whether you could adapt or use
•• Be open to new ideas: Even if something seems
any of the ideas.
ridiculous or totally unfeasible, be prepared to
go along with it. You never know where it might
lead.
This stencil uses the
famous children’s story
of Paddington Bear to Tactic: Subvertise branding
counter the negative
Subvertising is the act of making parodies
narrative about migrants (or spoofs) of corporate and political
being promoted by the adverts, logos and slogans. It is a tactic
UK government and the used to counter corporate marketing and
media. It has appeared to expose the reality of what businesses and
at protests and been governments do.
‘graffitied’ in several
Logos, slogans and images can be subverted
places.
easily and used as images shared through
social media; on banners or placards; or
printed and placed in strategic places.
Loosen up inhibitions
Start an action-planning session with an energiser
or a game like The Magic Blob:
Remember
•• When you’re thinking up ideas, no idea is a bad
Activists across the UK re-branded Monsanto’s flagship
idea
weed killer ‘Roundup’ by placing spoof labels on bottles
•• Have fun! If you’re tired or bored you’re unlikely at garden centres and DIY shops. The labels warned
to come up with creative ideas. people about the product’s toxic dangers and that
Monsanto’s corporate control of agriculture degrades
•• Think big! Even if you don’t think something is
farmers’ power. e UK who targeted DIY shops and
feasible, it could be adapted or it might spark
garden centres and shared images with hashtag
another idea
#MonsantoExposed
•• Don’t underestimate what you can get away
with. Creative actions are often unexpected and
can take your target by surprise.